Owner searches for stolen Beagles

UWCHLAN — Nearly a year and a half ago, Angelo Pappas’ four prized Beagles disappeared from a locked outdoor kennel on the Rossi Tree Farm near routes 100 and 113.

The dogs, 10-year-old brother and sister Panjo and Liza, a 5-year-old male named Bobi, and a 3-year-old female named Dafni, vanished without a trace on the night of January 24, 2013. Pappas said the padlocks to the kennel were found cut, and the dogs were gone.

Pappas said the dogs, valued at around $5,000 each, came from championship bloodlines, but his search for them was never about the money.

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“They were very highly regarded for their bloodlines, but that’s not the issue,” said Pappas. The bottom line is that someone took our dogs and we don’t know where they are.”

Pappas, who lives in the Phoenixville area, said he kept the dogs at various outdoor locations since 2004. The last kennel was located near an access road that ran through the tree farm, and when a section of the farm was sold for redevelopment the area was frequented by a large number of construction workers.

“There was a lot of traffic going back and forth, mostly construction workers, but we never really thought too much about it,” Pappas said. “We didn’t want any trouble. They were all registered in the county, they had all of their vaccinations.”

Pappas said it was common for people to stop and ask about the dogs. Some were interested in rabbit hunting, others were just interested in the breed. Over the years he had to deal with several complaints, but every time the Chester County SPCA responded to check on the condition of the dogs they left satisfied, Pappas said.

After the dogs disappeared, Pappas and his family scoured the area for the dogs. They searched the nearby woods on foot, started a Facebook page, and distributed fliers. The family also regularly checked every shelter in the region for reports of Beagles.

There was never any sign of the dogs.

“I have yet to get any, and I mean zero, leads,” Pappas said. “To this day, nothing.”

Pappas said the Uwchlan Police Department looked into the disappearance, but like the Pappas family their investigation turned up no evidence. One of the detectives warned Pappas that the dogs may have been taken by a mobile dogfighting operation for use as bait dogs, a near worst-case scenario for the family.

Another possible theory is that someone who wrongfully thought that the dogs were neglected may have taken the dogs in a misguided rescue attempt, Pappas said.

“I just hope that if that is what happened whoever took them found a good home for them,” Pappas said.

Pappas said he wanted to tell the story of his dogs in the hope that someone in the area may know something about their disappearance. Anyone with information is urged to contact Mr. Pappas at 610-457-2095 or email him at angelopappas@msn.com.